Friday, March 23, 2007

Rumors in the America's Cup

Planted stories, rumours and misinformation are part of the America’s Cup. This is what Peter Lester, world-renowned America's Cup commentator from New Zealand, wrote last Saturday in a column in the New Zealand Herald. There is an ongoing rumor in Valencia and around the internet about an alleged structural damage on NZL-92, the newest yacht of America's Cup challenger Emirates Team New Zealand.

The kiwi team has obviously denied having suffered any damage whatsoever and we have shot pictures of NZL-92 being towed out of Port America's Cup a couple of days after the alleged incident. When everybody thought the matter was closed, the rumor resurfaced with a fantasy picture, allegedly taken by some other team (respecting the 200-meter rule) the moment the New Zealand boat broke. Just like dozens of other people here in Valencia we received earlier today the now-famous photo.

This is supposed to be a picture taken by somebody in the race course the moment NZL-92 broke around 2 weeks ago. This can obviously be any picture of the team training, scaled down and then digitally altered.

It looks more like a bad joke rather than a genuine photo of the supposed incident. Obviously, what strikes first is why would anyone take a black and white photo when even elementary mobile phones have better image quality!!

The reason we publish this photo is to show that psychology plays a very important role in the America's Cup and there are people that would go to such lengths as produce such a crappy picture, hoping to influence the other teams. Of course, it could be some form of reverse-psychology maneuvers by the New Zealanders themselves!!

If the boat had suffered structural damage the first thing that would happen would be that the mainsheet and runner tension would reduce and the forestay would sag. Everything in this photo looks drum tight, no sign of reduced tension.

okay, so they get a crack near the starboard chainplate and they keep pushing the boat hard on starboard...this story is ridiculous and does not make sence at all.Go the Kiwi's! you get both the rockets and the rock stars to bring it back home!